Exploring Youth’s Learning about Racism Amid the Backlash to Racial Justice Education

• In Event: “They’re Telling Us Not To”: Teaching for Racial Justice During Times of Censorship and Bans

Abstract

Purpose
Drawing from a nationwide sample of young change-makers, this study provides valuable insights into how students are learning about racism amidst the current discourse on restrictions of such teaching. Given their interest in social change, these young people may be more able to recognize and recall being taught about social injustices in their classes. Their awareness also provides an opportunity to better understand how youth are impacted by calls to prohibit their learning.

Perspectives or Theoretical Frameworks
This study’s research questions and measures were informed by critical race theory (Crenshaw, 1989; Ladson-Billings & Tate,1995) and social justice education frameworks (Bell, 2016). It also draws from the discourse of backlash politics (Alter et al., 2020) as it explores the current movement to restrict teaching of racial injustice.

Methods & Data Sources
This mixed methods study uses data from participants (age 15-21) in a 2023 program for young people interested in social change. Participants completed online surveys (N=115) prior to the program and participated in 6 focus groups (N=39). The sample was racially diverse, with 61.2% identifying as people of color, and drawn from 35 U.S. states/territories. This study was conducted in partnership with a youth advisory board composed of recent program alumni. Alumni participated in measure development, data collection, analyses, and interpretation.

Results
Most youth reported being taught about racial injustice (90.4%) in the past year; they learned more about racial injustices than any other type, including those related to sexual orientation, religion, gender, or disability. On average, their learning aligned with social justice education principles, as assessed through an adapted version of subscale of Byrd et al’sl (2019) racial socialization in school.

Just over a third of youth (36.0%) reported attempts to censor specific educational content in their school. Bivariate analyses revealed no relationship between censorship attempts and learning about racial injustices; though there was a negative relationship between censorship and LGBTQ+ content.

Focus groups revealed four key ways racial injustice topics were incorporated by teachers: proactively as part of curriculum; informally discussed in personal ways; addressed only when brought up by students; and actively discouraged.

Young people also provided rich details of how they are responding to these restrictions. Youth’s responses illustrate the potential damage of censorship, but also ways in which youth and their educators are subverting the backlash.

Significance
Recent polls of parents and community members show stark divisions about what is, and should be, about race and racism in schools (e.g. Pew, 2022). Less research has explored whether youth are learning these concepts, and how calls for restrictions affect this learning. This paper adds to the extant research, providing a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the current moment in our nation’s reckoning with racism. It also provides an opportunity to assess the reliability and validity of newly adapted survey measures, such a social justice education scale (Byrd, 2019).

Authors

• Emily Greytak, ACLU

• Alan Flores, University of Delaware

• Khadijah Zahid